Lady Cougars See Garcia & Sims Named All-WSC

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

The Lady Cougars will have two representatives on the 2023-24 All-Western State Conference (WSC), South Division team with freshman backcourt duo Aaliyah Garcia and Jade Sims both taking home First-Team honors. 

Garcia finished the season with team-high averages of 17.9 points and 4.9 assists per game across her 28 starts at the point guard position. The Canyon High School graduate also posted a stat line that include 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals each night out. 

The point guard finished in double digit scoring totals in all but one game with a season-high 34 points vs. Compton College on Dec. 16, 2023. Garcia dished out 10 assists on two occasions, first in the season-opening win over San Bernardino Valley College and again eight days later in COC's win over L.A. Southwest College.

Her 30-point game vs. Santa Monica College in the regular season finale got Canyons back to .500 for the regular season and helped the program advance to the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs for a third straight season 

Sims had a dynamic freshman campaign in her first season out of Canyon High School. She ranked second on the squad in scoring at 17.1 points per game but led Canyons with a 38.7 shooting percentage (minimum 75 attempts).  

Logging minutes at both guard and forward, Sims started all 29 games and averaged 2.7 assists and 5.2 rebounds each night. Her rebounding line was third on the team while her assist totals ranked second. Defensively she came away with one block and 1.3 steals per game.

Always a dangerous scorer, Sims topped 20 points in 12 contests with a season-high 35 points coming in a road loss at Bakersfield College on Feb. 7. She also netted 34 points in a losing effort during the Lady Cougars' playoff defeat at East L.A. College on Feb. 28

Sims recorded a season-best seven assists twice and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds on three occasions, including during COC's home win over top-ranked Palomar College on Dec. 29.

Canyons (14-15, 7-7) finished the regular season tied for fourth in the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division standings and was one of five teams from the conference to advance to the playoffs. The Lady Cougars played in the postseason for the 27th time in program history and second under head coach John Wissmath who took over the program prior to the 2022-23 season. 

In the playoffs, No. 20 College of the Canyons suffered a 93-78 loss at No. 13 East L.A. College in the opening round of the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs on Feb. 28. 

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

—Photos by Mari Kneisel/COC Sports Information